The Al Franken Podcast

Episode: Molly Jong-Fast on The 2025 Elections!
Date: November 9, 2025
Host: Al Franken
Guest: Molly Jong-Fast (journalist and New York Times writer)
Summary by: Podcast Summarizer AI

Episode Overview

In this lively and trenchant episode, Al Franken is joined by Molly Jong-Fast to break down the surprising results of the 2025 off-year elections. The conversation explores Democratic victories across key states, the impact of Donald Trump on the electorate, policy issues influencing voters, and the dynamics around gerrymandering and redistricting. The hosts also discuss the new mayoral landscape in New York City, national political maneuvers, and the rising challenges to democracy leading up to the 2026 midterms.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Democratic Sweep in 2025 Elections

Host's View: Al introduces the episode by highlighting Democratic wins in gubernatorial races (notably Mikey Sherrill in NJ and Abigail Spanberger in VA), and legislative gains, as well as the significance of California’s Proposition 50 (redistricting).
Al Franken (03:50): “Democrats won big all over the country. Maybe my theory is maybe because Americans don't like Trump so much, or at least the job he's doing.”
Electoral Margins:
- Mikey Sherrill (NJ) won by a 13-point margin, far exceeding expectations.
- Abigail Spanberger (VA) won by 15 points.
- Virginia legislature: Dems picked up 13–14 seats (05:28).

2. A Referendum on Trump?

Ollie (co-host, 08:33): "So was this a referendum on Trump?"
Molly Jong-Fast (08:40): Expresses frustration with the “hot take industrial complex” that doubted Democratic candidates and underestimated voter backlash against Trump:
- “Donald Trump got into the culture. He got low frequency voters out there and they voted for him and... it wasn't necessarily a referendum on policy as much as it was just a very... a lot of post Covid drama and a lot of people sort of liked Trump and they were willing to just destroy themselves on him again.”

3. Skyrocketing Turnout & Voter Motivation

Highest turnout in NJ in 30 years; “huge turnout in Virginia and... NY and California” (Ollie, 10:57).
Cost of Living, SNAP, Tariffs:
- Molly Jong-Fast (11:22): Points to policy failures, especially Trump’s “reverse philanthropy” and SNAP (food stamp) cuts.
- On tariffs: “Trump said, if you vote for me, I will make things cheaper. He turned around and made things more expensive” (12:09).

4. Federal Employees in Trauma

Firings and chaos among federal workers, especially in Virginia, motivated a backlash:
- Molly Jong-Fast (13:44): “He’s put them in trauma. And it turns out that if you put someone in trauma, they no longer vote for you.”

5. Trump’s Interference in State Races

Trump’s direct and indirect involvement in NJ/VA, attempts to punish local leaders (e.g., cancelling the NJ-NY tunnel to spite Schumer) (14:33).
Cittarelli’s failed argument (“I’m friends with Trump, I’ll protect you”) fell flat given Trump’s open hostility to New Jersey's interests.

6. The Rise of Zoran Mamdani: NY’s New Mayor

Molly Jong-Fast (16:38): Discusses Mamdani's focus on affordability, rent control, and his effective, honest campaign:
- “You don't have to promise them everything, but you have to try. And that's where we get back to... the sins of the 2024 cycle... Like, your constituents... know you can't necessarily cancel all student loan debt... but they want you to try.”
Challenges of being NYC mayor:
- “That is a terrible job. ... It is a managerial job. It is not an ideological job.” (19:15)
Mamdani’s popularity is attributed to clear, concrete economic messaging and representation as a young, attractive, diverse candidate—unlike the corporate Democratic “veepification” of political speak (21:55).

7. Proposition 50 & Gerrymandering Wars

Prop 50 in California:
- Molly credits Tom Steyer and Gavin Newsom for their bold moves. The initiative added five Democratic seats, offsetting five Republican seats created by TX gerrymandering (24:20-25:54).
Tit-for-Tat Gerrymandering:
- TX & CA strategies explored; concern about the emergence of a “dummy-mander” as shifting electorates threaten party assumptions (29:30–31:29).
- “If you have an electorate that shifted this much… you may have just made a reliably red seat a blue seat…” (30:53).

8. Immigration, ICE, and Outrage in Texas

Paxton and Abbott’s harsh deportations and militia tactics face public backlash. Deportations to wrong countries, denial of due process, and attacks on Latino communities discussed (28:53).
Molly Jong-Fast (29:05): “Our government is actively doing the kind of things that the Hague, in fact, puts people in jail. These are things the Hague prosecutes... None of this is how we do it in this country.”

9. 2026 Midterms — What Happens Next?

Risk of gerrymandering backfiring if electoral swings continue.
“Is what happened last night a reflection of where America's gonna be in a year?” (Ollie, 31:36)
“We haven't seen like, we've seen a little bit of what Trump has planned, but we really haven't seen it...” (Molly, 32:13)
SNAP cuts, food banks, and National Guard in suburbs all sign of political overreach.

10. Fears of Election Suppression & Authoritarian Moves

Expectation of federal troops and increased “election monitoring” by Trump-aligned forces in 2026 (34:32–35:10).
Need for Democrats to prepare for intense election oversight, legal fights, and safeguarding democratic norms.

11. The Never-ending Shutdown & Trump’s Self-Enrichment

Ongoing government shutdown—longest in history (35:33).
Discussion of the extravagant Trump “Great Gatsby” party at Mar A Lago as SNAP cuts loom (36:42):
- “You wanna know what the initiation fee is for the Winter White House? ... $1 million.” (37:11)
- “Between the crypto and the clubs, and the crypto is amazing.” (37:41)
CZ (Binance founder) pardoned after investing $2B in a Trump family crypto venture.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Molly Jong-Fast (08:53):
“The kind of bitter disappointment I have towards the hot take industrial complex that told me Mikey Sherrill was just not that good a candidate… my man had been running for state office in New Jersey for nearly a decade. Okay, like, stop it.”
Molly Jong-Fast (11:22):
"You basically had the richest man in the world practicing reverse philanthropy with our federal government, cutting cancer research for children."
Molly Jong-Fast (13:44):
“So he's put them in trauma. And it turns out that if you put someone in trauma, they no longer vote for you.”
On Mamdani (16:38):
“They want their electeds to try… voters just want you to try.”
On the corporate wing of the Democrats (17:30):
“Modern, a lot of these more corporatist Democrats are like, well, the math on making eggs cheaper doesn't work. You're running for office, just run for office. Say you're gonna try.”
On Mayor of NY Job (19:15):
“That is a terrible job. ... It is a managerial job. It is not an ideological job.”
Molly Jong-Fast (29:05):
“Our government is actively doing the kind of things that the Hague, in fact, puts people in jail. These are things the Hague prosecutes... None of this is how we do it in this country.”
On Democrats' messaging (21:55):
“The veepification of Democratic speak… you put a Mara and a car and then you get America. You know, like that kind of thing where it's like that doesn't say anything.”
On Trump & the shutdown (37:11):
“You wanna know what the initiation fee is for the Winter White House? ... $1 million.”
“Between the crypto and the clubs, and the crypto is amazing.” (37:41)

Time-Stamped Highlights

05:00—Analysis of key Democratic victors and impact on congressional control.
08:40—Was this a referendum on Trump? Molly’s frustration with media narratives.
11:22—Policy issues (SNAP, tariffs, Musk austerity) drive voter anger.
14:33—Trump’s direct role in punishing Democratic-leaning states.
16:38—Analysis of Mamdani’s winning strategy in NY mayoral race.
24:20–25:54—California’s Prop 50: How Dems countered GOP gerrymandering.
28:53—Excessive deportation and human rights concerns in Texas.
31:36—Can these results last? The looming 2026 midterms.
34:32—Fear and preparation for election suppression.
36:42—Trump’s ostentatious personal gain amidst national crisis.

Tone and Style

The conversation is candid, sharp, and a bit salty (plenty of swearing and sarcasm). Molly Jong-Fast brings irreverence and anger at political hypocrisy and inaction, while Al Franken punctuates with dry humor and historical perspective. The episode is rich in current events detail, with a focus on both the policy and the politics shaping the American landscape.

Conclusion

This episode offers a comprehensive, sometimes raucously funny, and passionately argued analysis of the 2025 elections, highlighting Democratic strategy, the perils and potential of gerrymandering, and the ways Trumpism continues to shape and disrupt the U.S. political scene. Both the peril and possibility of the coming year—and the specter of the 2026 midterms—are underscored by the hosts’ pointed observations and memorable one-liners.

Summary ends — For those who missed the episode, this summary covers all the substantive content, context, and memorable exchanges of a pivotal Al Franken Podcast.

Transcript

Commercial Narrator (0:00)

This holiday. Discover meaningful gifts for everyone on your list at K. Not sure where to start. Our jewelry experts are here to help you find or create the perfect gift in store or online. Book your appointment today and unwrap Love this season only at Kay.

Mint Mobile Advertiser (0:15)

Mint is still $15 a month for premium wireless. And if you haven't made the switch yet, here are 15 reasons why you should.

Molly Jong-Fast (0:22)

Mint Mobile Advertiser (0:23)

It's $15 a month. 2, seriously, it's $15 a month. 3, no big contracts.

Commercial Narrator (0:29)

Mint Mobile Advertiser (0:29)

I use it. 5, my mom uses it. Playing me off. That's what's happening, right? Okay, give it a try. @mintmobile.com Switch upfront payment of $45 for.

Commercial Narrator (0:38)

Three month plan $15 per month equivalent required. New customer offer first three months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See mintmobile.com.

Al Hunt (0:50)

Hey everybody, we got a great one today. You know, for a change. Molly Jung fast joins us again. You know Molly from MSNBC and now as a writer for the New York Times. And she joins me to talk about Tuesday's elections, which went well for Democrats. Something went well for Democrats. Hey, don't jinx it, Al. Hey, I'm celebrating it. Democrats won big all over the country. Maybe my theory is maybe because Americans don't like Trump so much, or at least the job he's doing. Two new governors, Mikey Sherrill in New Jersey, who was supposed to be in a squeaker against Republican Jack Chattarelli, whom Trump campaigned for by zoom, Cheryl kicked his ass, won by 13 point margin when the experts said it was going to be a squeaker. Sheryl was roommates with Abigail Spanberger in Congress, both members of the class of 2018, when Democrats picked up 40 seats. That was after the healthcare fight when John McCain put his thumb down to the relief of Americans who had finally figured out what Obamacare really did for them. Spanberger was expected to win and did so going away by 15 points statewide. Virginia, of course, is home to a lot of federal employees. Many of them were fired by the Trump administration. Doge OMB Secretary Russell Vogt famously said that he wants federal employees to be in trauma. Well, I wouldn't say that the Trump administration is in trauma this week, but Democrats in Virginia picked up 13 or 14 seats in the state legislature, which means they have the votes to gerrymander and add one or two Democratic congressional seats. I say go for it. Of course, Proposition 50 passed overwhelmingly in California, which should give Democrats the five new seats to offset the five new Republican seats that Republicans added in Texas. All this is terrible. By the way, this is not how congressional maps should be drawn. But they started this this year in Texas. Of course, red states will actually end up picking up more seats this way. Ohio, Missouri, and North Carolina have already added Republican seats. Nationally, they'll probably end up with a few seat advantage from these newly gerrymandered seats. But if this 2025 election is any indication, we have a very, very good chance of taking the House next year. Even if there are troops in the streets to suppress votes. It's a dark time in our history, folks. But of course, Zoran Mamdani is the mayor elect of America's largest city, winning handily over Andrew Cuomo with 78% of voters age 18 to 29. From the very beginning, Mandani made his campaign about affordability. Who knew New Yorkers cared about affordability? He hit rent control, free buses, free childcare, and it resonated like crazy. Now I believe he will be New York's first Muslim mayor. I should check that out. And an immigrant. I think the first mayors of New Amsterdam were immigrants from the Netherlands. Will Mandani be able to achieve his ambitious agenda? I'm pulling for him now. He says he's going to raise taxes on the very top income earners in New York City by 2%. Will that drive the rich out of the city? Of course not, because they love this city and they love the incredibly expensive clubs they can belong to in New York. Oh, and Pennsylvania came through reelecting three Democratic Supreme Court justices to 10 year terms. So while there hasn't been a lot to celebrate for a while and there's still a whole other stuff to bonus out, it appears things could be looking up. During arguments, the Supreme Court seemed to be tilting against Trump's tariff regime, which has been contributing to inflation and hurting American companies that import stuff and Americans who have paid for it. The court agreed with Neil Kochal, who argued that terrorists are taxes and that it is Congress's purview to impose taxes, not the President's. Now, this isn't necessarily good news, but Nancy Pelosi announced that she's retiring after the end of this term at at the age of 85, the only woman speaker in the history of the House. I was in the Senate when we passed the Affordable Care act. And even though we had the majority in the House, Pelosi had to twist a lot of Democratic arms to pass a bill that matched what we had done in the Senate so we could actually get the thing made into law. Nancy Pelosi, one of the greatest speakers in our nation's history. So there's that. On the more tawdry side, last Sunday, 60 Minutes revealed that Trump pardon Changpeng Zhao, also known as CZ, the founder of the cryptocurrency exchange Binance, who invested $2 billion into a Trump family crypto venture. In 2023, CZ pled guilty to money laundering and served a four month prison sentence, but he's been pardoned. So I guess it's good news that we live in a time when ex con can redeem himself and invest $2 billion. Bad news, Trump still refuses to negotiate an end to the shutdown, now the longest in history. I'm sure if Trump just met with Thune Schumer, Mike Johnson and Hakeem Jeffries, they get the thing ironed out and hungry Americans will get their full snap benefits and get air traffic controllers back at full strength for the holidays. Franny and I and our son's family will hopefully be flying to LA to visit our daughter's family. So get this thing settled and include ACA subsidies, for God's sakes. Of course, if they don't, Democrats will use that to help win the 2026 midterms. But let's turn to Molly Jung fast. And Tuesday's elections, we got a great one, you know, for a change.